COULOMB FORCES AND ELECTRIC FIELD

INTENSITY

Coulomb’s Law
There is a force between two charges which is directly
proportional to the charge magnitudes and inversely proportional
to the square of the separation distance. This is Coulomb’s law,
which was developed from work with small charged bodies and a
delicate torsion balance. In vector form it is started thus,
Q1 Q2
F= 2
a
4 πε d

To find the force on Q1 due to a second charge Q2,

( )
Q 1 Q2 Q 1 Q2 ⃗
R 21
F 1= 2
a21 F 1= 2
4 πε R 21 4 πε R 21 R 21

where: F1 = the force on Q1 due to Q2

a 21= unit vector from point 2 to 1

R 21 = the vector from point 2 to point 1

⃗

R21=distance ¿ point 2 ¿ point 1

Q1 , Q2 = given charges at point 1 and point 2.

ε = permittivity of the medium
= ε 0 εr
ε 0 = permittivity of free space = 8.854 x 10-12
C2/Nm2 or F/m
ε r = relative permittivity of the medium
 = 1 in free space
Note: In this lesson we will use free space as the medium, so
that ε =ε 0
So the formula becomes

( )
Q1 Q2 Q1 Q2 ⃗
R21
F 1= a
2 21 F 1= 2
4 π ε o R21 4 π ε o R21 R21

Example
Find the force on charge Q1, 20 μC, due to charge Q2, -300μC,
where Q1 is at (0, 1 , 2) m and Q2 at (2, 0, 0) m.
Solution:
R 21 = (0 – 2)ax +(1 – 0)ay + (2 – 0)az = – 2ax + ay + 2az
⃗

R21=√ (−2 ) + ( 1 ) + ( 2 ) = 3
2 2 2

and
⃗
R21 – 2 a x+ a y +2 a z
a 21= =
R21 3

Then
−6 −6
(20 x 10 )(−300 x 10 )
F 1=
4 π ¿¿
 F 1=6 ( – 2a x +a3 y +2 a z ) N

The force magnitude is 6 N and the direction is such that Q1 is

attracted to Q2 .

Electric Field Intensity

Suppose that a test charge Qt is sufiiciently small so as not to

disturb significantly the field of the fixed point charge Q. The the
elecrtici field intensity, E, dur t Q defined to be the force per unti
charge on Qt: E = Ft/Qt.
For Q at the orgin of a sechrical coordinate system , the
electric fied intensity at an arbitrary point P is,
⃗ Q
E= a
2 r
4 π εo r

In an arbitrary cartesian coordinate system

⃗ Q
E= a
2 R
4 π εo R
The units of E are newtons per coulomb (N/C) or the equivalent,
volts per meters (V/m)

Example
Find E at (0, 3, 4) m in cartesian coordinates Q = 0.5 μC at the
orgin .

Solution: R = (0 – 0)ax +(3 – 0)ay + (4 – 0) az

= 3ay + 4az
R=5

aR =
3 a y +4 a z
=0.6 a x +0.8 a z
5
−6
⃗ 0.5 x 10
E= −12
4 π (8.854 x 10 ) ¿ ¿

Thus, |⃗
E| = 180 V/m in the direction aR = 0.6 a x +0.8 a z

Charge Distribution

Volume Charge is distributed throughout a specified volume,

each charge element contributes to the electric field at an
external point. A summation or integration is hen required to
obtain the total electric field. Even though electric charge in its
smallest division is found to be an electron or proton, it is useful
to consider continuous (in fact, differentiable) charge
distributions and to define a charge density by

 = dV (C/m2)
dQ
With reference to volume V , each differential charge dQ
produces a differential charge dQ produces a differential electric
field
dQ
d⃗
E= a
2 R
4 π εo R

at the observation point P. Assuming that the only charge in the

origin is contained within the volume, the toatle elcetcric field at
P is obtained by integration over the volume.

ρ aR
E =∫
⃗ 2
dV
4 π εo R

Sheet Charge
Charge may also be distributed over a surface or a sheet. Then
each differential charge dQ on the sheet results in a differential
electric field

dQ
d⃗
E= a
2 R
4 π εo R
at point P. If the surface charge desnidty is ρ S(C/m2) and if no
other charge is eresent in the region, then the totlss electric field
at point P is
ρS a R
E =∫
⃗ 2
dS
4 π εo R

Line Charge
If charge is distributed over a (curved ) line, each differential
charge dQ along the line produces a differential electric field
dQ
d⃗
E= a
2 R
4 π εo R

at P. And if the line charge density is ρl ¿C/m), and no other

charge is in the region, then the total electric field at P is
ρl a R
E =∫
⃗ 2
dl
4 π εo R
Example
A charge is distributed along the z axis between z = ± 5 mwith a
uniform density ρl = 20nC/m. Determine E at (2,0,0) m in
cartesian coordinates. Also express he answer in cylindrical
coordinates

Solution:
dQ
d⃗
E= a
2 R
4 π εo R

V/m
−9
20 x 10
d⃗
E=
4 π¿¿

Symmetry with respect to the z = 0 plane eliminates any z

component in the result.

a x =167 a x V/m
5
2dz
E =180 ∫
⃗
3/2
−5 ( 4+ z2 )

In cylindrical coordinates, ⃗E = 167 ar V/m